The Way to Heaven Discovered, Religious treatise · Stumbling block 16
XVI.
The ſixteenth ſtumbling block, Well ſaith the poor ſoul, I ſee I have not ſinned that unpardonable ſin, that block is removed, and my heart begun to be cheared, and the mercy gate by faith I ſaw opened; but behold I ſee another ſtumbling block; even a mighty mountain, or many blocks and mountains, laid all together, ſo that I have no hope at preſent either to get over it, or to have it removed, viz. originall ſinne in every member of my body, and every faculty of my ſoul, and actuall ſins in all things that ever I have done, ſo that the whole man is a lump of ſinne. Beſides, I ſee the world, fleſh, and Devill joyn all together againſt me, and I doe finde them too ſtrong for me; it is better for me to die that I might ceaſe from ſinne, and know the worſt of my torment, for I ſee all the plagues threatned againſt ſinners both in the Old and New Teſtament, hang over my head; therefore ſure ſpeak to me no more unleſſe you ſpeak of the torments of hell; as for me I have no hope of obtaining mercy and pardon: I am even ready to ſay with Cain, Gen. 4. 13. My puniſhment is greater then I can bear: Wherefore with Judas I am ready to hang my ſelf; but before I do either, I will with Job, curſe the day of my birth, Job 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. After this Job opened his mouth, and curſed his day: Let the day periſh wherein I was born, let that day be darkneſſe, let not God regard it, and as for that night, let darkneſſe ſeiſe upon it, let it not be joyned unto the daies of the year, let it not come into the number of the moneths. If I could reckon up how many minutes ſince the time I was born, then I might know the number of my ſins, for I am guilty of as many ſinnes, as I have lived minutes, if not more, and who can dwell in everlaſting burning? Oh! I hear that voice ſounding in mine ears, Rem. 2. 8, 9. Tribulation, and anguiſh, and indignation, and wrath, upon every ſoul, of man that doth evill, upon the Jew firſt, and alſo upon the Gentile; ſhall one ſinne caſt down the beſt Saints, and ſhall not ten hundred thouſand ſinnes damn me body and ſoul? one ſinne tript up the heels of Noah, the righteouſeſt man in the world; one ſinne caſt down Abraham, the greateſt beleever in the world; one ſinne threw down David, the beſt King in the world; one ſinne caſt down Paul, the greateſt Apoſtle in the world; one ſinne threw down Sampſon, the ſtrongeſt man in the world; one ſinne caſt down Solomon, the wiſeſt man in the world; and another Moſes, the meekeſt man in the world; and another ſinne caſt down Job the patienteſt man in the world.
Anſw. For the removing of this great ſtumbling block, conſider that thy ſinnes are but finite at the moſt, but Gods mercy is infinite; I ſay, his pardoning mercy is infinite; wherefore give over ſaying with Peter, Luk. 5. 8. Depart from me, for I am a ſinfull man; and ſay with David, Pardon my ſin, for it is wondrous great, Pſal. 25. 11. It is true, every ſoul is empty of all good, and filled with all evill, and is a tranſgreſſor from the womb, ſo that man is born,
1. An enemy to God, Epheſ. 2. 5. Col. 1. 21.
2. A childe of the Devill, Epheſ. 2. 1. & 1 Joh. 3. 8, 10.
3. An heir of hell, Mat. 23. 15.
So that man in his conception, birth, thoughts, words, and actions, is become altogether, from the crown of the head to the ſole of the foot, ſinfull; there is nothing but wounds and ſores, iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and rebellion: yea, the choiceſt piece alſo, the ſoul, in all its faculties is corrupted, the Underſtanding is blinded as to ſpirituall things, 1 Cor. 2. 24. and ſo the Will of man is wholly depraved, it is contrary to God in all things, it will not depend nor wait on God, it is unconſtant in good reſolutions; the Memory alſo is full of corruption, being apt to forget the things we are commanded to remember, and to remember the things we are commanded to forget, Jam. 1. 25. So likewiſe the Conſcience is corrupted, it abuſeth and perverteth the light it hath, to make ſinnes ſmall, where it ſhould accuſe it great, and ſometimes to make ſinnes ſo great, as to ſay there is no mercy for them; whereas it ſhould rather excuſe and comfort. And ſo for our Affections, how are they corrupted, being miſplaced, and ready to run over, either to over-love, over-grieve, over-joy, or to hate what it ſhould love, and to love what it ſhould hate; as our luſts, why elſe do we lodge them, and turn enemies to thoſe that reprove us?
Behold, here is a taſte of mans corrupt nature, and the Apoſtle ſaith, if a man live and die in this condition, he cannot inherit the Kingdome of God, 1 Cor. 15. 50. the whole ſenſe is, no man can know the myſteries of the Kingdome of grace, without a regenerate minde, and therefore no man can be ſaved by adoption, without regeneration, and renovation of the whole man; for as hath been proved, we are born aliens from the kingdome of God, Epheſ. 2. 1, 12, 13. and meer enemies, Rom. 5. 10. untill we are born again of water, and of the Holy Ghoſt: hence it is that the Apoſtle requireth, a new creature, a new man, 1 Cor. 5. 7. & 2 Cor. 5. 17. & Gal. 6. 15. & Epheſ. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. The unregenerate man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he becauſe they be ſpiritually diſcerned, 1 Cor. 2. 14.
Wherefore wait at the pools of Betheſda, at the ordinances of God, being the pipes of conveyance, for the finiſhing of this great work in thy ſoul: I ſay, wait upon God in hearing, reading, converſing, and inquiring, and that diligently and conſtantly; this work deſerred, will be ſtill greater, the time to doe it in, will be ſhorter, the ſtrength to doe it will be leſſe; therefore to day if thou wilt hear his voice, Heb. 3. 15. 13. to day, leſt any of you be …ardned through the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne.
Now thou being throughly and powerfully convinced of ſinne which is the ſtumbling blocke that ſeems to lie in thy way, conſider that this conviction is the firſt ſtep towards heaven, Joh. 16. 8.
1. Then conſider, that theſe ſinnes of thine, were laid on the Lord Je…us Chriſt, Iſa. 53. 6. God laid on him the iniquities of us all, and he hath ſuffered the judgements due to them. I…a. 53. 7, 8, 9. And the Lord ſaw the travell of his ſoul, and was ſatisfied.
2. Conſider, that God hath promiſed to pardon them, and thoſe promiſes are of two ſorts, ſome conditionall, and ſome free without conditions: firſt, ſome conditionall, Matth. 11. 28. & Prov. 28. 13. If we confeſſe and forſake our ſinnes, we ſhall finde mercy. Then ſecondly, there be ſome promiſes without conditions. Iſa. 43. 25, 26. Heb. 8. 12. I will doe it for my owne names ſake freely.
3. Conſider, that this God is mindfull of his promiſe, Pſal. 111. 5. He will ever be mindefull of his covenant, that is, he looks n…t at their ſinnes, but at his own promiſe. I…a. 49. 15, 16. Can a Woman f…rget her ſuck…ng ch…de, that ſhe ſhould not have compaſſion on the ſonne of her wombe; yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee, for I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands, &c.
4. Conſider, he is able, and willing to make good what he hath promiſed; Rom. 4. 20, 21. He ſtaggered not at the promiſes of God: 21. For he was fully perſwaded, that what he had promiſed he was able to performe. Again, he is willing, he doth not afflict willingly: Mica. 7. 18, 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity, and paſseth by the tranſgreſſion of his people? he retaineth not his anger for ever, becauſe hee delighteth in mercy.
5. Conſider, he is faithfull, he cannot lie; Heb. 10. 23. Let us hold faſt the profeſſion of our faith without wavering, for he is faithfull that hath promiſed. 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Theſ. 5. 24. & 2 Theſ. 3. 3. In a word, he is ſo faithfull, that he cannot but make good every title promiſed: Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternall life, which God that cannot lie hath promiſed; the beſt of men may promiſe and lie, but it is God that cannot lie, that hath promiſed us life.
6. Conſider, that he hath entred into covenant to us, to make it good: Now a Covenant giveth ſtrength to the truth of any ingagement, when we have but a promiſe, we uſe to ſay, we have nothing but a bare promiſe for ſuch and ſuch things; now God hath made many promiſes all ſealed and made ſure to us, by an unchangeable Covenant; ſee 2 Sam. 7. 14, 15. Pſal. 89. 28, to the 37. compared with Heb. 8 9, 10.
7. Conſider, that he hath ſworne to us, that he will make good his Covenant to us, becauſe he delights not in the deſtruction of us. Ezek. 33. 11. As I live, ſaith the Lord God, I have no pleaſure in the death of the the wicked. Heb. 6. 17, 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to ſhew unto the heires of promiſe the immutability of his counſell, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, we might have a ſtrong conſolation.
8. He hath ſealed his Promiſe, Oath, and Covenant, &c. with the bloud of his Sonne, Rom. 5. 6. & Heb. 9. 23. & Revel. 1. 5. In a word, to winde up all; the Lord hath taken away all the ſtumbling blocks that lay in our way, either from the truth of him that maketh the promiſe, or from his ability to make good his word, or of his ſincerity to intend really what he ſpeaketh, or of his conſtant memory of taking the opportunity of doing the thing promiſed, or of his ſtableneſſe to be ſtill of the ſame minde.